


The Risen Palm

by darekafukasakara



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Detectives, Explicit Language, F/F, First Time, High School, Hurt/Comfort, Mysticism, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-26 11:25:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18281672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darekafukasakara/pseuds/darekafukasakara
Summary: What happens if Max give her abilities not in October of 2013, in the day of Chloe's death, but in September of 2008, in the day of William Price's funeral and Caulfield family's departure? How change lives of Max and her near and dear ones? Can she don't let tornado to destroy Arcadia Bay in 2013?No, she won't be able to do this. Way bigger tornado will hit the town... And won't destroy any building. This story is about tempest in minds a way more dangerous than any act of nature.





	1. The Arrival

**_9/14/2008, Sunday, 3:37 PM._ **

 

_Max Caulfield sat at the backseat of her family’s car and didn’t paid any attention to worried glances her parents gave her time to time via rear-view mirror. She blindly stared at rushing in the window view and gone unintentionally to memories about left behind town she spent all her life and even didn’t hope to escape. She left behind her back all her life was connected to, all what was her life._

_The last buildings had hidden from her gaze about a hour ago, and since that time edge of the evergreen forest on the right and stretched to the horizon ocean on the left were the only view for her sight. All around seemed so empty and lifeless, as if the nature somehow changed her mind in unison of Max’s mud and transformed colorful summer environment for only spectators in the nearest few miles. Even rustling of leaves and crashing of ocean waves on the coast couldn’t be heard through roaming engine and shut windows._

_Anyway, Max didn’t pay any attention to the environment. Her thoughts still were out of here, in Arcadia Bay cemetery they left about a hour ago, and even didn’t wait until ceremony of William’s funeral ends. Every time she blinked, she saw the figure of Chloe dressed in the black funeral attire. She tried not to cry aloud in front of all attendants and spoil the funeral of her own father. Her fulfilled by pain gaze was pointed to the driving away car. That’s why Max with almost hysterical cry made her parents to shut all the windows despite of pleasant cool wind from the ocean._

_Just do not blink._

_Ryan coughed, turned to the door, and angry arouse inside Max again. How could they dare just to drive away now? Chloe needs her help now more than even in her life, but all she did is to cowardly escaped at the last moment, left only one record with her goodbye on the recorder, which after all what happened looks so fake and awkward so Chloe would crashed the recorder in anger when listen it. Max wanted to stay whatever it takes, but tomorrow her father will begin the first day in his new job, and leave thirteen years old teenager alone even in her hometown even wasn’t an option. They haven’t any relatives in Arcadia Bay, and Joyce has too much to pay attention but another child now. Insurance fund had recovered all expenses of William’s funeral, but mortgage for their home should be paid, and Joyce had to somehow deal with it only by her wage now. Girl understood that the only option is to depart today, but her heart hurt every time she recalled broken silhouette of Chloe left back._

_Max desperately continued to find opportunities to be with her friend together and help her to handle with pain. Maybe, it would be great to invite her for a few days to Seattle? Brilliant idea. New huge city and tons of thing to do will be able to distract her from grief thoughts. But even Caulfield themselves weren’t sure they won’t have to sleep tonight in the car. They rented an apartments by e-mail for the fist month, but there is always a risk to something might go wrong. Or might they go to girl scout camp together for the rest of summer? Her parents and Joyce definitely won’t agree with this idea. Or call Chloe via Skype this evening? No, the outdated piece of 90s on Chloe’s table wouldn’t handle this. Or… Gone into considering of opportunities Max unexpectedly got nap._

_Her dream was about that day everything changed. Morning, when they cleaned Chloe’s room and the biggest Max’s problem was to tell her best friend about her inevitable departure. They spent all time till afternoon trying to find ‘ancient’ treasure they put underground for the next five years, and it helped to pretend to everything is all right. Girl almost handled to tell her… But there Joyce came. Images had been changing, but crying Chloe always was in the center. In front of Max appears smiling William’s face and chore of thousands voices began to speak in unison_

_‘It shouldn’t had happen’_

_Voices changed to each other, but the word were the same. Through the dream girl saw vague shapes of car’s interior and parents turned to her, speaking something in concern while staring at her. From somewhere Max heard her own husky voice, repeating others:_

_‘It shouldn’t had happen’_

_Something knocked in her temples, as if tight steel hoop tied up on her head, her vision impaired, and there is still vague vision in front of her eyes, which didn’t let to grasp where reality is. Smiling William and crying Chloe began to go away, and Max unintentionally rose up her right hand trying to stop them, touch their skin, at least for a second…_

_Beat in her temples get faster. Voices rouse and began to speak absolutely other phrases in dissonance, so there weren’t possible to understand it, and in front of Max appeared another visions. Driving backwards fast car, turning to the front window parents, going backwards trees… This continued for no more than a few seconds, but after aroused in her head pain Max woke up._

_Right in time._

_Suddenly pain of short, but fast kick of her butt by asphalt added up to headache. Max looked around in shock and recognized trees she already saw a few seconds ago, road they just left back… Loud uproar behind and shrill horn made the girl turn back and see the picture which stuck in her head for years: her parent’s car running right to her, her father with scared face pushed a horn, crying in fear mother… And empty place in backseat where the girls sat a few seconds ago._

_Sharp pain went through Max’s body, when the car’s bumper hit her. Her mind couldn’t able to handle with what happened, and the last thing the could to get by remnants of the going out of her body mind is feeling of fleeing of her uncontrolled body and squeak of breaking tyres…_

 

* * *

 

**08/24/2013, Saturday, 8:24 PM**

 

Breaking tyres squeaks again, and suddenly thrown from bad memories Max Caulfield twitched on uncomfortable seat of long-distance bus, which was her liar for the last few hours. Her legs pain after long travel, and desperate desire to stand up became her only need. Brown-haired girl looked through window and saw old chubby gas station and abandoned ship on the coast behind it.

 

‘Arcadia Bay. Please, don’t forget your baggage. Grayhound Co. thanks for you chose us and hope you’ll have good day! Bus will depart in eight minutes, next station is Tillamook’, said husky voice through the speaker right above Max’s head.

 

Take out under the seat by fast movement dirty satchel, seventeen-years-old girl stood up, feel how her muscles hurt and go out the roaming bus. Salty smell of oceanic air fulfilled her lung, which were tired of stuffy air of bus without any sign of conditioner. This smell was strange even for her who lived all live near the ocean. Sun slowly went to horizon, and that means she has only one hour till darkness comes. That is not she wasn’t ready for this, actually, she chose this ancient bus because of time of its arrival. Evening sun’s rays were the serious problem for primitive models of CCTV, which could be placed by town’s residents during last years. Modern technologies handle with sun rays better, but, seriously, Arcadia Bay and modern technologies? The thought of this combination made a little smile on girl’s lips.

 

Max rapidly looks around both sides of road and put the satchel on her shoulder, trying not to look at Two Whales, and go south, to the port. She heard her own voice inside her hear again, clearly and slowly repeating each detail of her further route: "From port go left to McCoy Ave till Country Smoker, turn right and go to Warren St. till second-hand. Target is shabby hangar on two hours. Key – under ashtray near the door. Go upstairs to the mansard. For the next seven days it’s mine. Came in and out only in darkness, don’t make a noise, don’t smoke, use light sources as little as possible, don’t take away gloves and beanie. If it will go smooth, neither workers nor police will notice anything. At the seventh day leave the mansard, take out and burn all trash and evidences. At 9:00 PM go to escrow service site through VPN and accept the sending of second part of money to hangar’s owner." Rhythm of simple and clear phrases with definitive plan always gave her rest like some sort of mantra for absolute clearing up the mind.

 

Trying to calm fast heartbeat, Max repeated the plan again and again, almost unmanageable went to the target in passing checking a shadowing amongst rate in that time passers-by. Residents did their own businesses with relax, and their faces look almost resting, but the mark of everyday uncertainty and hard work by ton of wrinkles lied on their foreheads. ‘That would be great to take a picture of this old man sitting on the doorstep. He looks so tired and calm, chubby environment and setting down sun are incredible environment…’, drove to her thoughts Max and unintentionally began to take down the satchel to take out the old Polaroid, but she had to stop herself. ‘No photo. No video. No any attention till September’. She handled to hide disappointed sigh and went further, trying to find the hangar.

 

In the space between two buildings on the left Max saw empty parking, and, as if its hour came, memories flooded girl’s mind. Max recalled how she and Chloe were always trying to reach this place when they were nine years old, despite of desperate resistance of their parents. At the evenings here came older children and hooked up till late night, dancing, and even more – kissing – with girls! One day they could almost reach this place, but on their way in they were captured by this ugly pimply Frank Bowers, who gripped them by ears and bring to Price house, mumbling something about inappropriate places for kids. Oh, that was a mess! Entire month of imprisonment at home with prohibition of meeting to everyone except teachers, and especially – with each other. Of course, it was breached just in next day at school…

 

Max shook her head in attempt to throw down these memories, which made to show treacherous tears in eyes corners. She turned right when reached old store to her target. Hangar was about forty foots height and took almost all of her eye view. Ancient siding with moss on edges scrunched under ocean cool wind. Darkness began hiding shapes of constructions. Max looked around and found nobody here. She went to the door to her temporary liar. Key, as it was planned, was under what hangar’s owner called in his full of mistakes letter to ‘mister Garcia’ an ashtray, in other words – under rusty coffee can fulfilled by disgusting combination of raindrop water and cigarettes butts. Pour it on herself wasn’t an option. After three turns door opened with suddenly silence. Looks like ‘mister Garcia’ wasn’t the only one client of this peculiar hotel, which had worse than usual service, but had incredible level of personnel’s lack of attention and no documents required.

 

Max climbed up by old metal ladder with almost no steps and pushed wooden door. It opened and girl saw empty room with low ceiling and small window in the wall against her. The only furniture Max noticed old mattress in corner and metal washbowl in the middle of room, which destination, probably, was getting water from leaking roof. She touched mattress by her foot and was more than happy because of lacking insects inside. Max put her satchel on the mattress and went to window, then stood up her tiptoes to see through it. Under the window began a roof of second floor a four foots below. From this roof she could reach roof of garage, and then – the earth. "Good escape route. Hope, there won’t be any need to prove its reliability", she thought.

 

From the window she also could see the major part of runty town without any details because of twilight and few lights in windows. ‘An electricity economy? Looks like Prescotts took the town over the guts. As expected after what was said in briefing’. Max looked the view trying to see something suspicious and look up to dark forest behind the town… Just for don’t see her old home and Price home. Tight pain inside her chest, her constant companion through last five years, arouse and made the girl to try to get some air. Her eyes began to fill with tears and she weren’t able to see anything.  Max quickly stepped back to the middle of the room, trying to handle aroused desire to al least call Chloe to hear her voice and break the call without any word just to be sure she is alright. "No way. Not in any case. It will destroy all I tried to reach during these years. If I’ll do everything right, we’ll have a chance to talk. Later."

 

Max went back to the corner of mansard and sat on mattress. She took out of satchel all she got for her mission. Two sets of clothes, old Polaroid, two packs of photo paper, notebook for entries with stationery, primitive cheap laptop, turned off phone, two thousand dollars in cash, credit card for her wage and opened envelope – that’s all girl had. To be honest, these things were all her property in the whole world, and the most part of it she had got only today for her mission. "Of course, this is not so much, but better than nothing". She took out of envelope folded list of white paper and in attempt to calm bring it to the last ray of light gone through the window, unfolded it, and read the text it contains in the thousandth time:

 

“Miss Emma Dow Janes,

 

Congratulations! You had accepted to Blackwell Academy (hereinafter referred to as “the Academy”) for one-year term of 2013 – 2014 in accordance to the signed by the Academy and Keeping Youth Empowerment Fund of Newport City (hereinafter referred to as “the Fund”) the Contract for Partnership and Further Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as “the Contract”)…”

 

Small smile aroused on girl’s lips, but it darkened when she look up on the first line of letter again. “Emma Dow Janes… What a stupid name! Somebody definitely needs to pay less attention to stock market news”. Girl turn her gaze to academy label. “Soon. Soon”.

 

Max took letter back to the envelope and put in the satchel. She lied on mattress and put wrapped spare t-shirts under her head instead of lacking pillow. She knew that tomorrow will be hard and she should prepare all she need during one week before September. A few hours of sleep definitely can help her with this.

 

“Face-to-face with obscurity. Like the old good days in Seattle”, she thought before to drove into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you have ideas how to improve this work, please, contact me in comment. I'll try to publish new chapter as soon as possible.


	2. Preparation

**_03/11/2009, Wednesday, 9:48 AM._ **

_Black sky without and tiny chance to see stars through thick thunderclouds didn’t contain any ray of light to look around. Low fog between trees and bushes was the only light spot in all environment. Barely audible rustling of pines and mystical squeaks and knocks of wood from the deep woodland completed the picture of night forest. Fresh pleasant air smells of pine and tar. After each inhale the desire to stop for a few minutes and restore the breath after slow, but too long footpath, arouse further and further. Soft grass under feet looks like incredible seat for to give a rest to tired legs… And because of that make a halt here and now looked like the stupidest idea in the world. Thought about do not stop whatever it takes permanently occupied every corner of mind. It is tolerable to walk slower, to go on all fours, but in any case, don’t stop._

_Max Caulfield trudged forward and felt dull, consistent ache in her feet. Drained throat, poured by water too long time ago, hurt, and there wasn’t any source of water in her sightseeing, but she heard rushing water behind the trees in front of her. Girl’s footsteps were the loudest sound in the night forest, and she tried to walk as quiet as possible despite of tiredness. Similar sounds reached her ears from behind the trees on the right and left, but it sounded softer and quieter. Looks like the forest was fool of night animals who began to hunt, or, probably, tried not to be hunted and avoid predators. Animals went to the water alongside trudged girl. This fact confirmed her guess about the nearest source of water. Short blink of water surface behind trees became the final evidence._

_Scenery of night forest stayed still, but by every step forward to river atmosphere began to change. Arousing tension inside made her heart to beat faster. Silence of the dark forest wasn’t peaceful anymore. This silence was similar to what happens in the eye of storm. Each wind touched her skin made girl shiver and think about what is happening or what will happen right now. Eyeballs felt pain and something knocking in her temples. Max passed the last foots to the river, fell on her knees and began to greedily drink from cupped dirty palms, doesn’t bothering about infections. She thought she’ll never satisfy her thirst. Her throat stopped to pain, and breathing didn’t cause cough anymore. Brown-haired girl washed her face and handle to raise her head and look forward._

_There was little gap between trees on the opposite side of river in ten foots from her. It was enlightened more than any other part of forest by narrow ray of moonshine, shining in the space between clouds. Somewhere there something shushed, and huge dear came to the gap. His enormous antlers looks like branches of old oak. His skinny hooves stepped in almost absolute silence, while deer went to the water. This picture was so balanced and magnificent, so Max couldn’t take a picture. She took Polaroid in hands and was going to push the button, but something changed. Low crouching silhouette showed behind the deer. Girl’s heart got pain. Ancient clothes. Painted face and red skin. Bow on the back. Rope in hands. Human. Hunter._

_Wooden knocks became louder and got a rhythm. Now it sound like a ritual drums beat. Human crouched silently to the deer who didn’t see him. When hunter reached the deer, he sharply throw the rope to his antlers, and took him down the earth. Drum beat fastened. Max looked at them and couldn’t make a move. After a short fight man turned the deer on his back, sit on him, and took out long knife. Hunter made fast movement and ripped up deer’s abdomen. Man stretched the wound by his hands like he was going to skin deer alive. Suddenly deer’s body blazed for a second, and instead of him dead body of red-skinned woman with ripped abdomen appeared under the hunter. Max bit her fist to don’t make any noise. Man stopped like he couldn’t believe he saw, shocked looked at woman, throw down the knife and screamed desperately, repeating something again and again._

_‘He couldn’t face his trial.’ Max heard whisper behind her._

_Feared girl turned back, but saw nobody. But she noticed the yellow blinks of fire on trees where she came from. She felt smell of burning. After a second there was all the forest in fire, without any way back, and it extended. Max panicked and make a step to the river and gave the last glance to whipping man lost his touch with reality. Suddenly waters of looked shallow river swallowed her and brought to the depth. She desperately tried to swim out back to the surface, but it was as if water went through her palms. She was gasping for air. Max’s sight darkened and her body softened. She sinked and after a second passed out…_

_Her dream ended as suddenly as suddenly it began, and girl’s mind left alone into silent deep darkness. The only sound she could hear was quiet periodical squeak. She heard it every time her heart beat. It comes from somewhere far away, and waiting for the next one was the only way don’t go mad because of absolute emptiness. Girl didn’t know how much time she spent here, and when next dream will come. These dreams were strange, not similar to that dreams she saw when she was a child. Eleven-years-old girl dreams about everything without any sign of logical explanation, and she could be anybody in her dreams. But these dreams were more like nightmares. As if they were real, and Max always was a protagonist of them. Considering that, void wasn’t so bad option… Until silence became make her mad._

_The void was fulfilled by sound and voices before, and the beginning. It sounded like this squeak now, from far away and quiet._

_‘Her condition is bad, we don’t have time to complete the preparation. We need to begin operation right now, otherwise, we won’t be able to restore the oxygen consummation in her lungs…’_

_‘Okay, we’ll get started right now. Tell anesthesiologist we need general anesthesia…’_

_‘Her injuries are almost critical. Plenty of broken ribs, broken leg, ripped lungs, concussion and during preparation to operation she have got cerebral hemorrhage…’_

_‘Give her another doze of anesthesia! She is waking up!’_

_‘That’s impossible! What diagnostics says?’_

_‘I don’t know! Computers go crazy! Brain activity level is off limits!’_

_‘Level of biopotential fluctuations?’_

_‘Twelve hertz, steady. Brain is in the mu-rhythm, amplitude is forty-seven microvolts. How it can be… Thirteen! Fifteen! Changing to beta-rhythm, she will wake up right now!’_

_Darkness began transforming to the light with vague silhouettes in its surface. Max tried to recognize them, but the stream of thick white light didn’t let her do it. She attempted to ask to turn off the lamp, but she can’t take control on her body and all she could said was barely audible rattle._

_‘She opened eyes! Twenty-six!’_

_‘Five milliliters of ketamine intramuscular, now!’_

_Max drown into darkness again._

_* * *_

_After every dream void saturated by something new. At the last time girl could recognize spots of light around and hear voices again._

_‘Mister Caulfield, despite of pessimistic prognosis, results are better than everybody could expect! Our patient definitely is in recovery. We expect she’ll wake up in the next week. We could prevent bed sores and neuro-muscular dysfunction by electrostimulation. During rehabilitation period we’ll count amount of damage teenager had got, but she will be able to walk almost when wake up. Don’t expect too much in the first time, after all, six months of permanent vegetative state in any way will have consequences…’ She heard unpleasant old voice in few foots of her ear._

_Six months? It was as if she had been struck by lightning. Did she really slept for six months? No way! Unintentional groaning left her coming back under her control body, and the voice instantly stopped. From somewhere she heard voice of her father, but she wasn’t be able to recognize what he said._

_‘Don’t worry, that’s the normal reaction of her body on recovery of neural connections. Patient already reacts to the tactile stimuli.’ Max remembered uncomfortable tingling all over her body she began to feel in last time. ‘Now it’s the recovery of fine motor skills, and we also noticed she began to react to acoustic stimuli. Maybe she even can hear us now.’  His interlocutor said._

_Her father mumbled something again, but now a bit closer._

_‘Yes, you can talk to her. Patient still needs rest, so I must to restrict time of your talk for one minute. I’ll wait you outside, we still need to go to financial department and discuss a few questions about insurance aid._

_Max heard departing steps and, after a few seconds, sound of shutting door. She still couldn’t open her eyes, but she saw through pale skin of eyelids a figure leaned between her and light. Surface girl lied on went down as if it was soft bed and somebody sat on her. Max felt warm touch on her palm, and, finally, heard flat tired voice of her dad:_

_‘Hi, Max. Ehm… Here we are, in Seattle… How much to say, but I don’t know where to start… Mom is okay, but she couldn’t come today. I’m alive too yes… Ahem… So much time had gone… We hoped, you will get better… Ahem…’ Knock in the door reminds father about time limit, and he quickly stood up, but stopped for a second. ‘Ahem, get well, Max. Me and mom is waiting for you and really miss you. Come back when you’ll can.’_

_Girl still couldn’t to feel her face, but she was sure tears fell down from her immovable eyes._

_‘I’ll come back, dad. I promise.’_

 

* * *

 

**08/25/2013, Sunday, 7:33 AM.**

 

Max Caulfied, as usual, woke up at 7 AM, let herself just lie down on the suspiciously soft mattress for next half-hour and let memories go away. It’s Saturday, and it means that streets will be flooded by residents walking around and going shopping.  They don’t need to hurry, and therefore will pay much more attention to environment, like display cases, driving cars and other people… Especially, to skinny pretty girl who obviously doesn’t want to draw attention. Small town with lacking new gossip, plenty of young pubescent slackers in the streets and strange relatively lovely young woman, snooping around the most interesting places of town are the worst combination for first day of preparation. Besides, it’s already dawn, and she shouldn’t leave the mansard without serious need. So, here she is, despite of desire to enjoy the last days of summer and maybe even take a little swim out of somebody’s sights – “Still haven’t swimsuit, idiot!”, kicked herself by the thought brown-haired girl, – this day she’ll spend for preparation of workplan and analysis of that slight piece of information she had.

 

Her throat hurt because of thirsty, but there wasn’t any opportunity to drink till next day. Yesterday, drown into her childhood memories Max forgot to buy food and water on her way to hangar. “Keep your feet on the ground, Caulfield, you’re not child anymore”, girl scolded herself. “Now it’s time to pay for your distraction.” Lacking food wasn’t too serious trouble, she could spend a day without any food, but thirstiness could distract her out of forthcoming work. Girl looked at fulfilled by water washbowl. It could help as a last resort. It could help as long as she won’t think about alternative ways of using washbowl by other “guests”.

 

Max looked at opened satchel and take out of it notebook and pencil, thank the gods, didn’t break during her travel. “Seriously, Caulfield, what kind of mission you could complete if you even can’t to pack your satchel? Sharpener and eraser were on the table, near pencil, how did you even could to forget it?". After writing implements she took out laptop and phone. She would lie, if saw she couldn’t handle without notebook and pencil. She could write notes on the laptop, but she always loved analog things. Hi-tech devices were too confusing, difficult and… cold? Brown-haired girl literally felt warmth from notebook and pencil by her finger toes, perhaps, not so warm as left into satchel Polaroid. On the contrary, the electronic devices seems radiating a small aura of cold, and her fingers felt uncomfortable each time she needed to push the keys. Unfortunately, rapid progress and reckless contemporary era demanded to match them. Max sighed and touched power buttons both computer and phone.

 

Both devices turned on almost immediately, as expected, because of it was “clear”, without any additional software and overweighed by user files memory. There were only operation system and decent pack of standard programs. Anyway, girl needed only browser and word processor without anything but them. After a few seconds of struggle she remembered the PIN code for gotten in the last hour before departure SIM card and get access to the phone’s operation system. Yes, the phone was one of the cheapest and most primitive on the market – who could give you the top device – but she was going to use it only for calls and, as now, for the access to Internet. Cellphone hadn’t GPS tracker, and that means her location could be determined only by GSM base stations with more than thousand foots margin of error. Add the terrible quality of mobile network in Arcadia Bay and illegal pre-paid SIM – and here almost safe access to Internet is granted.

 

But for the beginning she should outline the main ways to completion given her mission, and then go from the general to specific. “So, the main objective: perform thoroughtful analysis of economic and social situation of Arcadia Bay for determining the conflicts of interest between different population groups have and weak points in Prescott’s empire, then prepare a list of actions whereby Consortium Corp. could perform the takeover of Prescott Development for as minimal as possible price. Deadline – up to Christmas. Total money – two thousand dollars in cash of operational expenses, more is available on request with attached economic and financial feasibility study. Authority – I even have no right to buy a beer, what a hell is an authority? Brilliant, that’s the perfect first mission all my future depends on”, girl thought with exasperation.

 

Max sighed and opened notepad on clear page. She studied Arcadia Bay forums and news by changed to minimum brightness (“Don’t forget about power saving! Nobody knows when you’ll find a free outlet”) laptop and began to write ideas she got.

 

“Main ways I should investigate:

 

  1. Pan Estate. Enormous building project in dying town with permanent population exodus and rising unemployment? Seriously?
  2. Blackwell Academy. Why Prescotts invested so much to it during last decades?
    * Principal Wells. What kind of additional services he provides for Prescotts?
    * Vortex Club. Why Prescotts invest high school parties?
    * The Prescott Foundation. They try to buy a loyalty of people?
    * Art programs priority. Sounds like there no chance, but… Sean Prescott doesn’t seem big fan of contemporary art, his PR department could say about that. So why he invests in these programs first?
  3. Drugs in Arcadia Bay. Are local dealers connected with Los Zetas?* Who protects them?
  4. Police and municipal authorities of Arcadia Bay. Do they serve Prescott’s interests?
  5. Massive cutbacks in Prescotts firms. Does Prescott Development suffer a losses?
  6. Prescott family. Why always speaking about traditional values Sean Prescott never shows on public events with his own children?”



 

Max rubbed her forehead and took pencil away. Despite of this length of this note was about one page, it took about six hours to gather information and clear it up. All this time girl searched any sort of forums Arcadia Bay residents and Blackwell Academy students were logged in. She studied sites of Prescott Development and Blackwell Academy, and all news in Arcadia Bay for last two years. There was a quite strange picture: despite of obvious agony of town and destroying of Prescotts empire, they didn’t sell loosening their value assets and buying the ones, for example, in Portland. They continued to develop their business in Arcadia Bay and invested huge sums of money to risky and unprofitable projects. “Do they try to save their hometown? In that case it wasn’t too smart to make almost two hundred people lost their job. Or Sean wants to make local people so poor they even could afford a ticket to Portland?”, girl smirked. Actually, it was unexplainable. “Maybe it will be way more difficult than I thought…”

 

Max’s thoughts were interrupted by appeared on the laptop’s screed notification. The device reported its battery is empty, and it will turn off in a few minutes. “Damn it. I need to wake up earlier and go outside tomorrow. There should be at least one public outlet in this town. I hope.” Girl looked at notebook, and after a few minutes of thinking took pencil again and continued to write, put her head on the second hand.

 

“To-do list for tomorrow:

 

  1. Gather additional information about Pan Estates. Visit its office and construction site. Try to meet and talk with personnel.
  2. Go shopping. Buy food and water. Talk with cashiers about town’s rumors.
  3. Find an outlet.
  4. Walk till lighthouse for additional information.”



 

Girl read the completed plan and sighed. “Who do you try to trick, Caulfield? Walk till lighthouse… You don’t need it and there won’t be something useful. Your mission could be failed, if you couldn’t handle yourself and begin to do only what you really should do.” Thoughts about lighthouse made her remember day, when she and Chloe convinced William take them to lighthouse tour. Chloe’s dad forgot his wallet at home, so they collected all the change from car interior. That was enough only for the one cheapest ice lolly for kids. Lighthouse keeper mumbled to small group of tourists something about distinguished features of navigation in this area and history of lighthouse, while Max and Chloe sang using ice lolly as microphone, and didn’t forget to lick (Max) and bite (Chloe) icy sugar substance with taste of blueberry. They run on old spiral staircase and played capturing a tower of – of course – pirate fortress, hid behind trees from worried looking around William to throw themselves under his feet when he turn back (it was their traditional game “Drop the giant”), and, of course, they didn’t memorize anything the keeper saying… They were absolutely happy. Thoughtful smile appeared on girl’s lips. “I wonder is our old tree shack still unbroken? I think there’s nothing too bad if I’ll tomorrow reach it… Just to make sure I have an emergency shelter.”

 

Max stood up and made a few exercises to give tired body some rest. She went to washbowl. Despite of her expectation thirstiness didn’t torment her, and even now, in front of water, she had no wish to drink. On the water surface she saw freckled teenager girl with bright blue eyes, messed hair and drowsy after long hours of Internet surfing sight. She seemed about fifteen years old. Every time Max looked at herself in mirror she wonder how she could look if she wasn’t in that car accident and didn’t spent six month in coma after a dozens of surgical operations? Maybe, if things would be different, she would look now older and more beautiful? She could only guess what her life would be like. “We would finally go to Thunderbirds game. And go to grandpa together. I would sit at his home and suffer from his terrible puns and questions about boys…” Max suddenly even for herself sobbed. “I hope they’re all okay and alive. Maybe, one day I’ll can meet them and tell everything. If they even want to see me after what I did…”. Girl went back, lied down to the mattress and took out of her jeans pocket headphones.

 

“Screw it, I’ll charge it tomorrow”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Los Zetas is a cartel which had a challenging time in August - September of 2013.
> 
> Well, here's new chapter! Some questions are answered, and many of them will be answered. Do you like this concept of parallel narrative? Thanks for read this chapter!


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